When I first did a trip through the upper middle section of South Bowen creek with Ed I thought it was a spectacular canyon and I’ve been meaning to repeat it ever since.
But, despite having a look through the exquisite upper section I haven’t revisited this section until now.
We then make our way down stream. There’s a bit of creek walking down through pleasant coachwood forest before it drops into another dark canyon section.
Jason and Muz making their way down the canyon
The cool misty day made the light sweet
It was every bit as beautiful as I remember but now there’s nothing left to do but to scramble out
We weren’t expecting the others until 9:30 at the earliest and given our slow going on the ridge we decided to wait til 10.
A couple of cooeees and we thought we heard a faint reply. I slip up the gully a bit to guide them down. More cooees and whistle blasts but no response.
Back at camp we scratch a note in the dirt and head for Crikey. it’s 10:30.
We cross the ‘Boori (dingo creek) and start making up way up the opposite gully. It’s full of dead fall and scrub. It’s slow going and we’d already had a late start.
I spot a break in the cliffs and decide to try to climb out. Kylie is skeptical but we escape the gully and make heaps better time along the ridge.
Dropping into the creek at Kent’s entry (well downstream of Jamieson’s grid reference) we encounter walls of dead fall. So much.
It was a real punish. by the time we get to the canyon we are bruised and bloody and just a little over it.
There are several breaks in the cliff further down. I’d suggest future party’s explore their way down the spur and drop in closer to the canyon proper.
Anyhoo Crikey is deep and dark and our timing wasn’t conductive for photos but Kylie managed to get a few crackers
We reach the ‘Boori…. Bloody “dingo” creek.
We are bashed up and exhausted from battling the dead fall, sticks and scrub.
My memories of my previous trip to crikey was some hard going up the creek to get back to camp.
We have lunch and start making our way up stream
Somehow we pick our way up the banks and avoid strenuous swims or boulder hopping.
It’s about 4:30 when we reach the base of the pass up to camp. We strip out of the wetsuits, wash down in the creek and dry off in the sun before making our way back up.
Below camp we call out and are delighted to hear Dick reply.
Camp.
Unfortunately Sunday morning dawns with me and Kylie having grumbling in our belly’s.
I’m careful where I collect water from and have never had issues before but that’s all we can put it down to.
A bit of running off into the bush and we decide it’s best to skip canyoning today and head back to the cars.
It’s a shame for Dick and Monica to walk all the way out and miss the stunning canyons but it is the wisest choice.
It was a tough walk out. Kylie did it real tough. She’s a trooper.
We have a tough next couple of days. It hit us hard.
Anyhoo
There is a hidden message in every waterfall. It says, if you are flexible, falling will not hurt you!” ― Mehmet Murat ildan
We were planning a weekend out on the B̶o̶o̶r̶i̶… I mean *hackspit* Dingo creek.
The others were meeting us in the morning but we headed out Friday afternoon
We made good time along the fire trail but slowed a bit navigating the twisting ridge as the faint trail came and went.
We got to the camp around 5:30. Dumped gear, set up camp and headed up for a quick run through Bubblebath Canyon. AKA Froth and bubble canyon. (There was difference of opinion in the first descent party over the name.)
Not wanting to put wet gear on in the morning we went light. I knew it was short so we decided to brave the cold.
Dropping in
The water above the canyon was surprisingly warm.
Gadget at the start of the good bit
Bubblebath is a beautiful little canyon. It’s a bit underrated compared to some of the others. The late evning light didn’t do it justice but it’s one of the more beautiful ones out this way. “Mini Crikey”as Kylie called it.
The deeper we got the colder the water got and we lost the light just before the end.
Getting to camp we rug up and settle in for the night.
So I kinda like visiting the little canyons most people would not bother with.
Part of it is seeing beautiful places most people don’t get to and part is just getting out and exploring with mates.
When Tom posted photos of this one on https://ozultimate.com a few years ago it caught my attention as I had a reasonable knowledge of the canyons in that area but didn’t recognise this at all.
Then a month or so ago a YouTube video was posted that had a few clues.
10mins of comparing images in the video and the areal images on sixmaps and I was confident I knew how to find the start and how to get out.
Anyhoo it had been so long since I’d dragged friends out on a scrub bash to a low quality canyon that they had forgotten the pain and agreed to come again.
Was it scruby? Yes it was
Was it low quality?
The canyon section was pretty. Pretty short. But actually pretty.
Wetsuits were over kill. I thought there might be a bit more flow in the falls after last weeks rain but most of us stayed dry above the knees.
Just a few abseils and a short hallway and the canyon opened up
Then it was back up the ridge and we avoided some of the scrub back to the car
A bit under 2.5hrs car to car with a large group and giving Muz some abseiling refreshers along the way.
Despite being right next to Bindook cattle Station Bindook falls are in the middle of nowhere.
Sure it’s an interesting bit of nowhere but it’s a longish drive from anywhere.
The creek cuts a short but pretty slot down a series of Falls that have 2 main points of interest
1) they cut through hexagonal columns of basalt (Edit: apparently it’s not basalt but Barrallier Ignimbrite. Ignimbrite is basically the result of hot ash flows if I am understanding things, which I usually don’t)
b) it’s called a chasm.
Plus
iii) the distance means it’s less visited than a lot of blue mountains canyons.
Any hoo it’s been on my radar for a while only I thought you needed permission to cross the private property and I thought it was a very long drive to get to.
A tiny bit of research revealed you can skirt around the property within the boundary of the National park and it wasn’t that much longer a drive than it is to Kanangra which makes it an easy day trip from my place.
And so we thought why the hell not.
It’s a pretty drive made prettier by a dusting of snow coating the pine trees on the way out through Shooters Hill. And the road past mt Werong to Bindook is very scenic indeed. It’s awe inspiring country
We had no problem finding a spot to park and making the short walk to the start of the chasm.
Making our way down to where the creek first cuts into a narrow slot we are greeted by 2 smallish drops each with a long swim at the bottom and little to no anchor options between
The start of the chasm
We discussed setting an anchor for the first abseil and linking them together but it looked like it might be a tricky pull down in cold water so we opted to bypass a short section and abseil in from the side.
There was a reasonable flow of water so I believe the murky green is due to calcites in the strata?
Bypassing the first 2 drops with a 40m traversing abseil from trees above.
Looking down the amazing “chasm” towards the chock stone. With a bit of effort we were able to use the ledge on the left to avoid the early swim.
The anchor for the next abseil was threaded throu a single piton jammed in the back of the chock stone.
We searched for a while for a feasible back up without luck. Test weighting the anchor showed the piton to be solid and with a stepped, scrambley abseil we decided it was good enough and Gadget went down first.
You don’t really notice the columns until you look back
I perch above the pool and pull the rope. It comes easily and I stop to take out the biner block I had in place then go to pull the last bit down…. It locks solid!
It had come super easy til then. But nothing I could do would get it to budge. I assume the end has knotted itself on the ring and not wanting to waste too much time as Kylie was wet and waiting at the next anchor, I resort to cutting the rope.
The next anchor looks like it needed replacing 15years ago… it partly crumbles as Gadget inspects it. Other bits are so stiff we had to cut them out.
Gadget checking angles.
The next abseil is off old pitons again. At least there are 4 of them but we take a bit of time to set new tape. It was impossible to equalise them in the direction we wanted to abseil but again they felt solidly placed. And Gadget lead the stepped 45m abseil.
Another cold swim greeted us at the bottom of this one.
We pull rope from the far side of the pool then have a brief look for an anchor for the final 60-70m drop.
There wasn’t much in the way of obvious anchors and spying a steep ramp leading up to the right we opt to exit early.
It’s steep, loose and at times narrow but it goes.
Back up top we push our way through black thorn thickets up to the clearing below the property fence line, then make our way back to cross the top of the chasm and thus back to the car
Nice spot for a picnic
Part size: 2
Time: 4hr car to car.
Big places help you realise how small you and your problems are
It’s been a while since I’ve organised an obscure trip.
Others take the piss out of my scrub bashes to shit canyons but I get a kick out of checking out places the majority wouldn’t bother with.
So when we were thinking about what to do and South Bowen formed up as the front runner I suggest how about we go in fro the top.
Not that’s it’s overly obscure, for as long as I can remember David Noble has been commenting that people miss 3 or 4 canyon sections by going in the “standard” entry.
Still upper sections tend to be hit and miss so I wasn’t expecting high quality but they are all worth doing once.
The only hitch was the car shuffle. We didn’t have a second car.
Let’s just do the top and scramble out the Cork Screw entrance. Says I. That way it’s only a 2km walk back up the highway and we can do that first.
Deal.
We pick one of the branches below Mt Wilson turn off and make our way in. It was scrubby on the spur and muddy in the creek line.
Like scrubby scrub and muddy mud
But it’s only a short bash to the first canyon section. And it’s surprisingly high quality.
And once we got to the junction with the “standard” entry we reversed back up the Cork Screw section and found a break in the cliffs to scramble up.
I’m suppose to be catching up with the crew for a trip through Claustral. But the early start was delayed so I crawled back into bed to wait out the unusual morning storm.
Then I forgot to factor in Good Friday traffic.
I’m no chance of making the new time. Go without me, texted I
Now what?
Hey Kylie want to do a chill half day?
Sure
I’ve never been overly impressed by Juggler but it seems like the least hassle.
It’s was kinda nice after the storms.
Opting for the wet lines
A couple of guys in front
And that’s about it. We are not really fussed on adding in Grand today so we go for a little optional extra
We invited the two we caught up with in juggler to the add on.
Party size:2
Time: 3.5 hrs car to car with a relaxed lunch break.
It occurred to me I hadn’t done anything biggish for a bit. Nor had I lead anything I’d not done before for a while. Nor had I done the top of Ranon Brook ever.
Time to amend that.
The track notes said to follow the ridge so of course I headed straight down into the creek, joining it just below the feeder swap.
I don’t think Kylie was that impressed but the walking in the creek was mostly pleasant with occasional bits of cutty scrub
There were some nice bits of crystal clear water. And soon the creek dropped into a stunning little canyonHappy smiles Abseil into a pool, swim across and abseil out is a bit of a theme in Ranon
But it’s only short and a bit more creek walking gets us the the junction with Mistake Ravine and into familiar territory
It was a busy day in The main canyon sections. These tip top Canberrians let us go throu on their rope and caught back up a couple of times through out the day. oddly were the only other group we saw once we got to ClaustralKylie in the slot above the Claustral junctionAnd into Claustral. Just in time for sunbeams Mandatory hulks fistAnd National Geographic shotAnd more sun beamsAnd standard Claustral gorgeousness
Another great day out with great company, somehow missing the crowds.
It’s still magic even if you know how it’s done: Terry Pratchett
Does the pope shit in the woods… I mean, Is a bear catholic… I mean… ah fuggit, yeah sure
It’s mid afternoon when we roll into the car park. It and every other car park on the Mt Hay road is jam packed. Oddly no one else is in the canyon though.
We start gearing up.
Did anyone bring quick draws……
Karabiners will have to do but that’s future us problems. We set off down the trail.
It’s a cracking day and a relief when we drop into the shade of the gully
I’d always abseil straight down the creek from a tree this alternative is nice and a bit quicker
Madie taking the leap on the 3rd “abseil”
Russ heading for the chock stone.
Leo heading down to join him
Russ and Madie Chilling out
Power Rangers
We had trundled through the canyon itself fairly quick, the water was chilly but the day outside was baking (well baking in the sense that we haven’t acclimatised to summer yet) so we spread out on the rocks below the final abseil for a snooze to allow the gear to dries out and the afternoon to cool down.
I’m not good at sitting still so eventually I gather my gear and begin the trek out, knowing the others will catch me soon enough. It was still a hot march up to the climb
Once there I grab Russ’ spare Biners and free up a couple of mine and lead on up.
The view from the ledge at the top of the climb in stunning afternoon light
Another quality afternoon in a quality canyon with quality people.
sleepwhenwearedead 